While flagging off a group of 200 pilgrims on Sunday evening in Gulu city, Rwot Acana reminded the pilgrims that pilgrimage is not just a physical journey but a test of spiritual endurance and discipline.
Rwot David Onen Acana II (C), flanked by Northern Uganda Diocese Bishop Rev Godfrey Loum (L) and Kitgum Diocese Bishop Wilson Kitara take part in a procession after flagging pilgrims on Sunday.
The Acholi Paramount Chief David
Onen Acana II has called on foot pilgrims from the Northern Uganda Diocese to
stay spiritually focused and avoid falling into temptations as they embark on
their journey to the Namugongo Anglican Martyrs’ shrine. While flagging off a group of 200
pilgrims on Sunday evening in Gulu city, Rwot Acana reminded the pilgrims that
pilgrimage is not just a physical journey but a test of spiritual endurance and
discipline.
The pilgrims who comprise both young
and old are drawn from across various districts in the Acholi sub-region and were
flagged off in a ceremony jointly graced by the Northern Uganda Diocese Bishop Rt
Rev Godfrey Loum and Kitgum Diocese Bishop Wilson Kitara. Speaking to Christians from St
Philips Cathedral, Rwot Acana delivered a message of courage to the pilgrims and
cautioned them from what he says falling into temptation from various events
that will happen along their way.
“As a believer, you have got to
have courage. I request you not to accept funny things along the way to tempt
you into reacting or responding to them. when you leave here, your focus should
be ahead, until you reach Namugongo, while you pray, reflect, and intercede to God
to help you and your people,” said Rwot Acana.
Rwot Acana noted that the pilgrims
during their journey should portray the righteous values of the Acholi people, arguing that while on their way will meet various obstacles, including people
who may attempt to provoke them because of their ethnicity. “As you embark on the journey,
portray our good values, because the road you are going to use has many other
users, they are those who don’t know how to use it but also there are some
people who, after knowing you are Acholi, will try to provoke you,” he said.
He urged the pilgrims to use
their journey to pray to God for the Acholi community to have unity, people
among their leaders, and for the youth to wake up from laziness so that the
Acholi society emerges out of the situation they are in currently. The Northern Uganda Diocese
Bishop, Rev Godfrey Loum, in his message, called on the pilgrims to walk together
as a team, adding that they should also use the pilgrimage as an opportunity to
pray to God for what has been bothering them and issues that haven’t been
answered in their past prayers.
“As they walk, they (Pilgrims)
have the opportunity to be in the presence of God and to put out their hearts to
God about the things that bother them. if there are issues that have not been
answered before, this is the time because pilgrimage has the same importance as
prayers with fasting,” Bishop Loum told the pilgrims. Bishop Loum, however, cautioned the
pilgrims on Sunday against drinking what has been termed as miracle water at
the martyr’s shrine, arguing that the water isn’t holy and its source isn’t well
protected, making it unsafe for human consumption.
He said that while the Church of
Uganda is working on ways of protecting the water source, guaranteeing its
safety for drinking requires a lot of expertise, which they aren’t yet committed
to meeting the expenses at the moment.
//Cue in: “My warning is…
Cue out:..safe for drinking.”//
The Kitgum Diocese Bishop Rev
Wilson Kitara yesterday called on women who know they have conceived not force
their way to take part in the long foot journey arguing that they can still
have another time to take part since it’s an annual event. Bishop Kitara noted
that the long journey poses significant health risks to both the expectant
mother and the fetus.
Luo bite
//Cue in: “Ka in kombedi…
Cue out:…tye mwaka ducu.”//
Bishop Kitara also emphasized
that parents must take extra caution in moving with young children, arguing that
there is a need to examine their health properly before they are engaged in the
long pilgrimage. According to Walter Odong, the
Chairperson of the foot pilgrims, they are expecting to trek for at least 11
days and anticipate if all goes well, they should reach the martyr’s shrine
on May 1st. Odong noted that during the journey, they will have a total of 10
stopovers where the pilgrims will take rest, get refreshments, and
accommodation.
This year, the Northern Uganda
Diocese clusters comprising dioceses of Lango, West Lango, Kitgum, Northern
Uganda, Madi West Nile, and Nebbi are organizing the Martyrs’ celebration at the
Anglican Site. The celebration, organized under
the theme “Imitating God’s Goodness by doing Good,” drawn from Galatians 6:9-10, is expected to be graced by President Yoweri Museveni.
The organizing committee for the
event is headed by the Northern Uganda Diocese Bishop Rev Godfrey Loum, who has
since appealed for support from well-wishers to help the pilgrims from Acholi,
Lango, and West Nile already on their way. On June 3rd every year, thousands
of Christians gather at Namugongo Martyrs’ shrine to commemorate the sacrifices
of 45 Ugandan martyr’s both Catholic and Anglican, who were killed for their
faith on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga between 1885 and 1886.
